The Forum for the Development of Mental Health Services in East Jerusalem, with which Physicians for Human Rights has been actively engaged since January 2010, is composed of numerous civil social organizations, communal institutions and local activists . The Forum’s goal is to consolidate a long-range strategy as well as intermediate solutions, for coping with the serious deficiencies and defects characteristic of mental health services in East Jerusalem.

Since November 2, 2008 new IDF and Israeli Police guidelines came into force, requiring Palestinian medical personnel working in East Jerusalem to leave the West Bank through the Qalandiya checkpoint in Ramallah.

The Occupied Territories department receives personal petitions from patients and medical personnel from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The department also maintains ongoing contact with health and human rights organizations in the territories. This ongoing contact and cooperation with organizations in the area, provides us with a broad perspective on the condition of medical care in the territories, the negative effects of the ongoing occupation, closure policy, bisecting the West Bank, restrictions on mobility and operations of the Israeli security forces. 

PHR’s principal position is that Israel, as a conquering entity, is obligated to provide medical service to inhabitants of the occupied territories and allow them free access for this purpose. In addition to this, PHR demands that the State of Israel take responsibility in situations of severe human rights abuses and physical injury to people and infrastructure as a result of army operations, and in particular the army offensive in Gaza.

In light of the High Court’s significant shift in position in regards to the Gaza Strip and its declaration that Israel’s occupation of Gaza ended on January 31st, 2008 , the High Court ceased to be a venue for patients requiring medical care whose exit from Gaza was prevented by the GSS. PHR has been exploring alternative courses of action both on a local and international level.